House member pulls nonprofit school district proposalLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A proposal to allow private nonprofits to take control of failing Arkansas school districts endorsed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson has been pulled by its sponsor. Republican Rep. Bruce Cozart told The Associated Press Tuesday that he has deferred the bill and that it won't come up again this session. Cozart says he couldn't get the cooperation needed from proponents and opponents to advance the proposal. The bill would've allowed n...

House committee backs ban on some post-adoption transfersLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas House panel on Tuesday endorsed a ban on some transfers of adopted children to unrelated families after a fellow lawmaker gave his adopted daughters to a man who later sexually assaulted one of them. The proposal wouldn't affect previous transfers, but it would criminalize future cases of "re-homing," an informal term for giving an adopted child to an unrelated family without state oversight. Rep. Justin Harris o...

Bill to extend scholarships to part-timers failsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A proposal that would expand state lottery scholarships to part-time traditional students has failed in the Arkansas Senate. Scholarship rules generally require that all traditional students be fulltime if they want to receive money under the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship Program, which is funded by lottery proceeds. A bill by Republican Alan Clark of Lonsdale would have let traditional students be part-time or ful...

Dismissal of Little Rock School District lawsuit requestedLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Attorneys for the Arkansas Department of Education, which is being sued over the takeover of the Little Rock School District, have asked a Pulaski County Judge to dismiss the case. The motion, which was filed Monday, is the latest in a string of motions ahead of a Wednesday hearing on a temporary injunction that could block the takeover. Little Rock School Board members Dianne Curry, C.E. McAdoo and Jim Ross, along with vote...

House supports protecting shooters from lawsuitsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas House members have endorsed a proposal to protect people who use lethal force from civil lawsuits and court expenses. Lawmakers voted 89-0 Tuesday to advance the bill to the Senate. Republican Rep. Dwight Tosh of Jonesboro says people who legally use deadly force would be immune from civil action. It could also require the court to award attorney's fees, income compensation and other compensation to defendants. Prop...

Governor throws weight behind Arkansas workforce legislationLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Gov. Asa Hutchinson is throwing his support behind a number of bills intended to help improve the quality of Arkansas' workforce. Hutchinson said at a Capitol news conference Tuesday he wants Arkansas to set up regional councils to tailor job training to local industries. As examples, he said on the campaign trail last year that colleges in tourism areas should offer hospitality classes and those in industrial areas should t...

House panel supports Broyles-backed publicity lawLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A House committee has endorsed a bill backed by the family of Arkansas football icon Frank Broyles that would establish a right of publicity to prevent an unwanted use of his likeness. The House Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Tuesday to the full body in a voice vote. Advocates say the change will prevent businesses from using a person's name or likeness to sell their goods. The bill is also supported by the National F...

House committee endorses adoption 're-homing' banLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas House committee has supported a proposal to criminalize some transfers of adopted children to unrelated families. The Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced the bill to the full House on a voice vote. Most transfers of children without state oversight would become felony offenses, punishable by up to five years in prison. The practice is currently regulated in just five states. Republican Rep. David Meeks of Con...

Charges dropped in case against accused rapistLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Criminal charges against an accused rapist were dropped Tuesday due to concerns about the credibility of the victim as a witness, the prosecution said. Milton Thomas, 58, a parolee charged last year with raping a 70-year-old widow, figured prominently in a recent Associated Press investigation of a national movement to use surveys to predict which prisoners or ex-inmates will commit future crimes. Thomas, who was quoted in t...

House leader hopes to soon bring session to an endLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The speaker of the Arkansas House says he hopes to have the legislative session mostly finished by the end of the month. Jeremy Gillam spoke Tuesday at a breakfast hosted by the bipartisan Political Animals Club of Little Rock and said Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Senate president support the March end date, but that the session could spill over into early April. One recent change that could make sessions move more quickly wa...

Lawmaker dropping bill to add LGBT protectionsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker says he's dropping his proposal to expand Arkansas' anti-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Democratic Rep. Greg Leding of Fayetteville on Tuesday said he was withdrawing his bill to add the protections to state law addressing discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The state law currently includes race, religion, national origin, gender...

Lawmaker proposes cut to higher education fundingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker says the state should cut funding for public colleges and universities as much as $14.6 million. Republican Sen. Bart Hester of Cave Springs on Tuesday said he'll propose cutting higher education funding by 1 percent or 2 percent in the coming fiscal year. Hester said the money saved could go instead toward tax cuts or other needs such as pre-kindergarten. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has proposed keep...

Hot Springs Board of Directors condemn historic hotelHOT SPRINGS (AP) — Hot Springs officials have greenlighted a resolution to condemn several remaining structures of the Majestic Hotel complex, which burned down more than a year ago. The city's Board of Directors on Monday night approved the resolution to condemn the "red brick building" and Lanai Towers. The owner of a corporation that owns the Majestic property has 30 days to obtain a permit to repair, rehabilitate, secure, raze and remove, ...

State-controlled school district in Marianna to be releasedMARIANNA (AP) — The Arkansas Board of Education has decided to release the state-controlled Lee County School District back to local management. The education board agreed Thursday to release the system after a new School Board is elected in September. Lee County School District was the first to be taken over by the state for academic distress. From 2011 to 2013, fewer that 49.5 percent of district students scored proficient or better on state...

Treasurer to pay $1K penalty for hiring cousinLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas state Treasurer Dennis Milligan announced Friday that he has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine for hiring his cousin to work in the treasurer's office in violation of Arkansas' nepotism law and is reimbursing the state nearly $7,000 in salary his cousin was paid during the approximately one month he was employed by the office. "In the early days of my administration, a hiring mistake was made," Milligan said in a statemen...

House supports kindergarten enrollment exceptionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The state House has passed a bill allowing Arkansas children who narrowly miss the age requirement for starting kindergarten to enroll anyway. House members voted 59-14 Friday for the bill and sent it to the Senate for consideration. Republican Rep. Jana Della Rosa of Rogers says the bill would give flexibility to parents who believe their child is ready to begin school. The bill would allow parents of a child who turns five...

House committee advances proposed amendmentsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas House committee has endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment to reinstate a voter identification law. The committee on Friday advanced five proposals to a joint committee that will consider which ones should be placed on the 2016 ballot. One proposal would reinstate the voter ID requirement that the state Supreme Court found unconstitutional in October. Other forwarded proposals would allow a candidate who is...

Taber Extrusions could add up to 32 jobs with Tesla dealThe Russellville City Council approved a resolution Tuesday that will assist Taber Extrusions with an expansion that could mean an additional 32 jobs that would pay $34,000 annually. Mayor Randy Horton told aldermen during a special meeting that Taber has landed a new contract to build multiple parts for Tesla Motors, an electric automobile company in Palo Alto, Calif. Jeff Pipkin, Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVAED) pres...

Hutchinson says focus is on Arkansas Legislature, not IranLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he has no immediate plans to join with the state's freshman senator and others who backed a letter to Iran's leadership during nuclear negotiations with President Barack Obama. Hutchinson said Wednesday he is "exclusively" focused on the state legislative session and has no immediate plans to engage in international diplomacy. The letter written by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton warned that unless Con...

Hutchinson signs bill setting enrollment figure waiversLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed a measure that could protect rural school districts from consolidation through a decade-old bill designed to ensure equal funding across the state. Lawmakers, students and onlookers joined at the Capitol for the bill signing, which was held before the Senate took up a separate measure to allow for the governor's pick for state education commissioner to take the top job. Hutchinson told...